Looking offshore from the Santa Barbara and Ventura coasts, the most prominent feature on the seascape is Santa Cruz Island. Many sailors and adventurers hear the call to take a closer look at the island. Dave Dewey answered that call. “There was a small notice in the Audubon Society newsletter looking for volunteers to work on Santa Cruz Island – I started in 1982.” He has worked on the island in numerous roles since that time, accepting the job of ranch manager in 2004.

Dave holds the unique position of maintaining this historic ranch and sharing its history, which has included wine making, and sheep and cattle ranching. It still requires a lot of work to hold a sense of history intact and to build roads into the future. When he first came to the island, Dave remembers working in the upper central valley, “the hills were covered with cattle, beautiful fields grew in the valley, and across the valley were pine forests. I instantly fell in love with the island.”

Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz Island is the largest of California’s eight Channel Islands at about 96 square miles. Major topographic features include two parallel mountain ranges running east-west, which reach over 2400’ in elevation at Mount Diablo and 1500’ at Sierra Blanca. The protected central valley is home to a compound of ranch buildings, including a chapel and historic winery.

By agreement with Carey Stanton, a former owner of the island, The Nature Conservancy acquired an interest in the island in the late 1970s, and with his death in 1987, his entire island estate passed to TNC.The east end of the island is managed by the National Park Service. “Dr. Stanton’s mandate was to have the island kept close to its natural state.” Over the millennia, the island has been occupied by the Chumash Indians, held by the Spanish and Mexican governments, and with California statehood, held by a series of ranching interests.

In recent years, as the ranching era has come to a close, island managers have directed the removal of cattle, sheep, and pigs, actively encouraging the restoration of native plants. Island ecosystems are fragile and change dramatically with the introduction of new species. The Channel Islands are often referred to as California’s Galapagos Islands. They are relatively isolated environments, full with nature’s unique wonders. However, their private world can be easily decimated by foreign species of plants and animals.

When Dewey first came to Santa Cruz Island, many hillsides were largely barren as a result of decades of sheep and cattle grazing (mostly by the sheep). The Santa Cruz Island Company was formed by a group of investors in 1869, bringing thousands of sheep to the island, adding to earlier sheep ranching operations. “I’ve seen photos from the 1860s – it was pretty bare.”

“What I’m fascinated with is the change. There’s been a lot of change on the island.” Dewey has witnessed the island’s near devastation and its climb back to its native state. “It’s been 25 years since the sheep an

Dewey is originally from Northern San Diego County, and observes that today, “every place I hiked decades ago is already developed.” In contrast, Santa Cruz Island remains, “a beautiful native spot.” “The biggest threat to California is sprawl and development.” Dewey appreciates the conservation-minded landowners including, “the cattle owners who have large acreages.” Often it is these ranches that have staved off urban development, and eventually become environmental preserves, such as the Sedgwick Reserve in Santa Ynez. These preserves are wonderful examples of how our cultures are always intertwined. Our ranching industry links us to our history, our educational/academic system and to environmentalism.

Walking through the island’s central valley, he describes the ranch, “We are in a historic area here. Many of the ranch buildings date to between 1888 and 1891. This land included vineyards during Prohibition.” Edwin Stanton (Carey Stanton’s father) purchased a majority of the island in 1937, during the Depression, and slowly changed it to a cattle operation. All of the cattle and lumber came over on boats.” Some things about the island have never changed. “Everything today also has to come over on boats. Sometimes it’s windy, and you can’t get off the island: they cancel the boats.” This adds to the challenges of island life.

A Rancher’s Life

Prior to moving to Santa Cruz Island, Dewey managed a farm in northern California. While studying for a master’s degree in botany at Chico State, he worked on a nearby farm growing kiwi fruit. “Kiwi was new to California then.” And it proved to be a highly successful crop. Dave managed that farm, “one of the largest [kiwi] orchards in the state,” for three decades. Dewey knows first-hand what it means when he says a rancher is a jack of all trades. “I run into people all the time who find a niche in their work; they are specialists. I’m a generalist. There is always something different [to work on]. I fit in here.”

This life experience has given him the credentials to work on one of the most unique “ranches” in the state of California. When he first came to the island he was involved in mending fences, “sheep-proof fences,” as part of the feral sheep removal process. Even with all the livestock now removed, major challenges of maintaining the ranch facilities continue. “Recently we had a couple of inches of rain; it washed out some of the roads.” The rain also brought rapid growth of weeds and grasses. “In addition to repairing roads, constant mowing is needed due to the fire danger.”

The Nature Conservancy

“The TNC manages about two-thirds of the island.” Dewey notes that only two people have the major responsibility for managing this part of the island. The other person he refers to is his friend and neighbor Dr. Lyndal Laughrin, who runs the University of California research station. Upkeep of the ranch facilities is just one aspect of Dewey’s job. “I facilitate maintaining access for the people restoring foxes, bald eagles, and plants. We’re trying to restore the island to the way it was before European settlers arrived.” Native plant and animal management is a Sisyphean task, “invasives are an ongoing battle on the island.”

“A lot of people come to the island who are studying all kinds of problems.” These visiting scientists include botanists, wildlife biologists, archaeologists, and geologists, to name a few. Occasionally, at the end of the day, Dewey can be found sharing a meal with visiting researchers, discussing the ongoing challenges of their various restoration projects. “It’s a good laboratory.”

Dewey is also knowledgeable about challenges faced in other parts of the country with feral livestock and invasive species. The management of plant and wildlife restoration on Santa Cruz Island provides models for other areas. “It’s fascinating to see the foxes coming back. The hillsides looked completely different 30 years ago. They were completely bare. There’s been a lot of success here.”

“We’re working hard to keep this [island] not as when The Nature Conservancy found it, but better.” In the end, the history of Stanton Ranch is two-fold. Through the early years, it helped to support our California population through ranch products, such as sheep and cattle. However, these species nearly brought the island to total environmental degradation, bringing native species to the brink of extinction. And yet, through great insight, Dr. Carey Stanton left this ranch, and the majority of this treasured island to be studied and preserved in perpetuity. Between the control of the major stakeholders and the investigations of outstanding scientists, are the men and women who are mending fences and managing the day to day work.

These are the people who contribute to the history of our region and help to create a better future for our communities.

Mike and Mimi DeGruy

Mike and Mimi DeGruy, portrait by Holli Harmon

The Golden Ratio

The tides are in our veins. –Robinson Jeffers

“Do what you love and you will become good at it,” Mike was known to say.

His passion for the ocean took him from the Gulf Shores of his childhood home to ultimately explore the world's oceans and record what he saw on film. With a career as a marine biologist and curator of invertebrates already established, Mike went on to become an acclaimed documentary filmmaker. Two decades ago, while working in Hawaii, he was asked to work on a film project on the American Trust Territories, where he met Mimi.

Mimi's path led her from Pennsylvania to study at Yale for a career in art conservation; her passions turned to working in television news and producing documentaries for CNN. In preparing for a documentary on marine life she traveled to Hawaii to meet the film crew. “She hired me,” Mike says.

Documentary Film

Mike and Mimi DeGruy are celebrities in the world of documentary film. Their combined passion for telling stories about the wonders of the ocean led to two decades of filming around the globe together. Fed by Mike's earliest passion for the ocean – he studied marine zoology at North Carolina and at the University of Hawaii – they made award-winning films for PBS, BBC, and National Geographic, to name just a few. Mike’s scientific background and early career included studying cephalopods and working as a manager of the Mid-Pacific Marine Lab and as curator of invertebrates at the Waikiki Aquarium.

Mike brought a biologist’s perspective to filming the behavior of marine animals. Mimi brought a storyteller’s perspective. She had an eye for the details that would captivate a popular audience. “Part of the magic of us working together is that we bring different disciplines to the table,” Mike reflects.

He observes, “When I first started filming [thirty years ago] there were few people working in this area [of underwater films]. Everyone knew one another. We would clean up beaches to make it look good. In reality we were creating an artful reality because we cleaned up the trash. In the last five, six, seven years, I have wanted to show the oceans as they are, with all of their warts. We have acidification, plastics, declining fisheries.”

The nautilus, the subject of Mike’s early research, is an apt metaphor for the fragility of the ocean. The repetitive spiral pattern of the nautilus is found in many examples in nature. In painting the portrait of the DeGruys, Holli incorporates the nautilus; sometimes used to illustrate the design perspective known as the Golden Ratio. It is similar to the Fibonacci equation, which is based on a series on integers often represented as an expanding spiral.

Like the spiral of the nautilus, Mike and Mimi’s influence has grown over the years, always connecting back with that awareness of the fragility of the ocean.

Community

Mike and Mimi’s great passions have extended from inspiring wonder about the world’s oceans to educating audiences about our impact on the planet. Their recent films have linked the ocean sciences with how we live, illuminating our impact on the environment.

With the birth of their children, Max and Frances, now 20 and 16, their passion also extended to family life and the life of their community. Mimi is a great force as a nurturer in the community. She reflects, “One of my passions about living here is that it is a vibrant community dedicated to building a stronger and better community. I'm passionate about that for myself and my kids.”

Living on the central coast, many of us are familiar with the ocean’s daily and seasonal rhythms. Mimi observes, “[We need to] start looking at ourselves as part of the ecosystem. Without that sensitivity we trash it.”

Mike felt that the experience of a place, and particularly of his time in Hawaii, was enhanced by its mythologies, by its stories. They chose to raise their family in Santa Barbara. Not only is Santa Barbara a part of the spectacular Santa Barbara Channel, home to one of the world’s most diverse populations of marine life, but it is also home to a community that cares passionately about the needs of neighbors, with a thousand non-profit organizations serving the needs of everyone from children to elders, and fostering environmental awareness.

Mike and Mimi are highly aware of our impact on the oceans and patterns of consumption. “In general, people need to lighten their step. Live more simply. Plant edible gardens. People become overwhelmed, [they think] what can I do?” notes Mimi.

Mike reflects, “We need to rethink our relationship with the earth. We have the capacity to change the earth and that can be good or bad. We need a paradigm shift in the way we think about the earth. Go to a farmer's market. Take advantage of what's local. Start at home. Take a cloth bag [instead of plastic]. Maybe it's a good thing to think about reusing. If you can't reuse, recycle.”

After their children were born, Mimi spent more time at home and became involved in her children’s education. She observes, “As parents, [we have] our foremost opportunity to influence the world. I see people so hyper-competitive about what their kids should be. Allow them to find what they love.”

Mike says, “The idea [is] that you find what you enjoy, you get good at it;

it has value.” Mike gave countless talks to audiences of schoolchildren over the years. “When I talk with schools, with kids, I tell them, ‘Just start making films.’”

In watching the brief interview clip, it is immediately apparent that Mike and Mimi are devoted to one another, to their family, and to their community. Not long after this interview took place, in 2012, Mike DeGruy died in a helicopter crash, while working on a film in Australia. His extraordinary life was honored by friends, as well as colleagues who became friends from, every corner of the world.

Mike and Mimi discovered ways to work together, with each bringing their own perspectives and skills to every project. Likewise, they intuitively adapted their partnership when they decided to have a family. They have led lives that have relied on their intuition and their unique passions, including shifting the focus of their respective careers.

How do we help children in our families and in our community to find their truest selves, to develop their own passions? The resounding message from Mike and Mimi is to follow your instincts. It is evident that Mike and Mimi found their calling, because their efforts to be great partners, parents, and filmmakers, have produced great rewards for their extended family, our community.

Together, Mike and Mimi established a legacy of inspiring and educating people around the world about the beauty and fragility of our planet, from distant oceans to nearby coasts. Mimi’s work to celebrate community and nurture our children to follow their own passions continues.

To see Mike in action, view his Ted.com talk: Hooked by an Octopus.

To read Mimi’s inspiring and informative writings on nature, community, and children, visit her website at Wordpress.com.

History of Wine

Wine
has an ancient history, with a long cast of characters including the Roman God
Bacchus, best known for his Bacchanalia festival. In our own California
history, Father Junipero Serra planted our first sustained vineyard at Mission
San Juan Capistrano two hundred years ago. One hundred years after that, Jean-Louis Vines was the
largest wine producer in Los Angeles and his peer, Agoston Haraszthy, a
Hungarian soldier, promoted vine planting over much of Northern California,
including Sonoma Valley. All of these men were immigrant adventurers, each
fulfilling their own quest.

I
think there is something in our genetic code or our own Manifest Destiny that
has brought all of us here to the Central Coast. Either, within ourselves, or
in the temperament of our fore fathers, we are adventurers, free thinkers
and/or entrepreneurs. These are all common traits you find in gold miners,
immigrants and hippies, all of which have made up our collective California
culture.

Let me focus on a very specific time in
our state’s history. In 1965 Berkley was the home to Flower Power, people wore
Birkenstocks and marched for civil rights. Meanwhile our nation was in the
midst of the Vietnam war which left our country questioning the establishment
and authority. These two countercultures converged to shape the next century.
Imagine graduating as a Geography student at UC Berkeley in 1965 and then
suddenly be drafted into the Vietnam War for the next 3 years. This was Richard
Sanford ‘s reality. After his
service as a naval officer, Richard wanted to work with the land and felt
agriculture would help him reconnect with his former life. He had been introduced to a Burgundy
wine during his time with the military and thought, “Out of all different
agricultural products, why not grapes?” Combining his knowledge of geography,
he began to study our climate records for the last 100 years and compare them
to the Burgundy region of France.
It was here he discovered our transverse mountain range created the
perfect environment for the Pinot Noir grape.

This
history only underscores Richard Sanford’s adventurous and entrepreneurial
spirit. With incredible insight,
the birth of our central coast wine country was established in 1970 when he
planted the first Pinot Noir vines in what is now the Santa Rita Hills. California is now the 4th largest wine
producer in the world and garners a $61.5 BILLION impact in our state economy.

Meanwhile,
the other half of this story, was moving west. Thekla Brumder, a nice girl from
Wisconsin, had spent her childhood outdoors, in tune with nature and
investigating the wonders of her grandparents’ dairy farm. As a young adult,
she stopped off at the University of Arizona to pick up a BA in Art History and
a few minors in Spanish and Italian. She then spent her 20‘s in the Colorado
Rockies before moving to Santa Barbara.

Fast
forward to 1976. This is when Richard and Thekla, meet on a sailing adventure
in Santa Barbara. In the same year, there is a blind wine tasting in Paris with
a panel made up exclusively of French wine experts. Six out of the 9 judges ranked California
wines as the best in the world. Two years later, Thekla and Richard marry in 1978 and
start Sanford Winery by 1981. Together, they have produced award-winning wines
for over 30 years. Their latest venture is

Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards

Using their life’s experience, they
have created a business that produces high quality wines. It also is the benchmark for organic,
sustainable farming and is environmentally responsible to the land, it’s
employees and customers.

And it is here ,on their home ranch, Rancho El Jabali, that the
Sanfords were sharing their mutual life story in a lovely room designed by
Richard and built sustainably from bales of hay and stucco. Thekla humorously
recollects about how Richard stuck a thermometer out of the window while
driving his car through the Santa Ynez Valley in order to measure the
temperature on this hillside or on top of that range. This was to find the
perfect location for the first vineyard.
Likewise, Richard gives Thekla all the credit for starting their organic
farming practices, an offshoot of their family vegetable garden. The El Jabali Vineyard was the first
OCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) certified vineyard in Santa Barbara
County.

While the fire crackles in the fireplace and radiates its warmth
throughout the room, I observe a couple who have shared a common goal
throughout a life that has been filled with hard work, successes and
challenges. They have a
thoughtfulness about their legacy and future. Their efforts and business enterprise reflect what is
important to them and what they stand for.

Remember at the beginning of this story, I talked about the
spirits of adventure, free thinking and entrepreneurship. These common attributes
are what make this couple so dynamic and forerunners in both winemaking and
conservation. They both share a
love of the land and this has been the foundation in their success as vintners
and conservationists. While Richard brought his understanding of the land and
agriculture to winemaking, Thekla brought her love of nature and community. The
arc of their commitment starts with organic farming and sustainable agriculture
and includes ecological packaging, green building, wildlife protection and culminates
in the slow food movement, which
addresses the quality of the food we eat, where it comes from and how this
affects the world. They were even
honored by the Environmental Defense Center as Environmental Heroes. All the while, they make award winning
wine! Richard Sanford was just
added to the Vintners Hall of Fame at The Culinary Institute of America.

Their incredible commitment to our environment while operating an
enlightened enterprise is just the beginning of their contribution. I always find their support and
sponsorship at so many of our non profit events. They have consistently made one good decision after another
to operate with integrity, be good stewards of the land, and serve humanity. Cheers!

Dr. Lyndal Laughrin

University of California Santa Cruz Island Reserve

Everyday we are influenced by someone’s efforts and passion. Their interests or talents may not be our own, but they will play a part in the backdrop of our own life’s stage where we pursue our own interests and passions. One image that is on the ocean’s horizon of Santa Barbara County is the Channel Islands. Specifically, Santa Cruz Island looms large on a clear day, or can be seen as a fuzzy purple blur in the grey marine haze. Many of us know nothing about this island and yet it has more square miles than Manhattan. One of it’s few full time inhabitants is, Dr. Lyndal Laughrin, who has dedicated his career to developing the University of California’s Santa Cruz Island Reserve. Dr. Laughrin came to Santa Cruz Island in 1965 to finish his graduate work while studying the indigenous island fox. His work and purpose evolved from a research biologist to the scientific Don and Director of the Reserve and it’s Field Station, where scientists from all over the world come to further their studies. For over 40 years, Dr. Laughrin has facilitated biologists, botanists, archeologists, and historians with their research. Meanwhile, he is, and was, an integral leader in the bureaucratic relationships between the University of California, The Nature Conservancy (who owns 75% of the island), the National Park Service (25% owner) and the past private owner, cattle rancher and pathologist, Dr. Carey Stanton.

The bottom line is, Dr. Laughrin’s efforts and passion have contributed to the preservation and conservation of a phenomenal environment that is equivalent to the Gala’pagos Islands. I, along with other plein air artists who suffer from island fever, frequently cross the channel to capture the vistas, flora and fauna with paint and canvas. We chase the early morning and afternoon light, enthusiastically studying the nuance and mood of this multi-faceted terrain. Many of these paintings and studies go back to the mainland, and are sold to raise more funds to support the UC Reserve Field Station through S.C.A.P.E, (Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment), an organization of painters who raise funds for the environment. On one such occasion, at the culmination of a painting trip with this troupe of S.C.A.P.E. artists, we gathered around our smorgasbord of food for our last dinner. Over the years, I have met a multitude of fascinating acquaintances at this same dinner table, which serves as the dining hall and conference room at the University of California Reserve Field Station. These acquaintances have ranged from the Nature Conservancy’s facilities manager, Dave Dewey, and New Zealand pig hunters, who were contracted to eradicate the feral pigs, to numerous biologists studying birds of prey and island jays or botanists measuring dew captured in the indigenous pines.

Lyndal, quietly participated as our host on this occasion, as he had at many of these lively gatherings; and, every once in awhile, he would share a tidbit about his own journey in life, or a morsel of island history would slide into the conversation, and I realized that, this man was as fascinating and enthralling as any corner of the island!

The Human Landscape

I felt compelled to paint his portrait. I wanted to capture his human landscape as well. After all, like the Island, he too was “one of a kind,” and a single lifetime is so fleeting in comparison to the lifetime of an island. Dr. Laughrin, I realized, had seen 40 years of ecological and sociological transformations on this 96 square mile landmass. And forty consecutive years of anything is rare in any 21st century career path.

So, I boldly asked this humble man if he would be willing to let me paint a portrait of him and he graciously allowed me to come to his island home to find a suitable scenario. It was from this encounter that the whole idea of painting people who influence our collective Central Coast culture began.

I think the best character references I can muster for Dr. Laughrin, is the iconic Indiana Jones. Perhaps George Lucas and Steven Spielberg fashioned their character after him. After all, he is fluent in island biology, has a deep knowledge of archeology, geology and conservation, and can drive a Jeep up and down the most treacherous cliff hanging dirt roads. He alsohas the swagger of a man who is comfortable in both rustic and professional environments. I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that Lyndal is a scientist, professor, cowboy, opera lover, mechanic, television actor, plumber, art collector, educator, academic bureaucrat, environmentalist, and world traveler…. to name a few. He may be a secret agent, but would not confirm this personal suspicion. Talk about a renaissance man! And he lives on an island that probably has 5 full time residents. Granted, Dr. Laughrin is part of one of the University of California, one of the finest educational institutions in the world, which speaks to his personal aptitude and intelligence. But there are few of us, who can be as diverse as he is and still hold such a breadth of knowledge. And, he is as humble and quiet about his wealth of experience as a church mouse. He is the real deal. Quiet waters run deep.

However, he is not stingy with his knowledge and life experience. He has helped build and run the Reserve Field Station that has served thousands of scientists and helped hoards of University students further their academic journeys. I saw, first hand, the enthusiasm and engagement from elementary students who got to come to a marine biology camp and use this field station as their schoolroom. Dr. Laughrin’s life work is continually planting seeds in the next generation and we all reap the harvest from this scientific knowledge.

I can see how a life lived with purpose and in pursuit of knowledge, in order to serve others, can leave a large impact. We are fortunate that there are people who are passionate about our planet and environment. We all benefit from our conservationists and environmental biologists. Next time you see Santa Cruz Island sitting quietly on the ocean’s horizon, I hope you remember this portrait of Dr. Lyndal Laughrin.